The invention relates to a combined underground bomb shelter and storage celler unit. In peacetime, the unit in accordance with the invention serves as an underground storage celler but when the need arises, the unit may serve as a bomb shelter.
The military budget generally covers weapons and military installations and equipment. In most countries, there is a serious shortage of bomb shelters. In the majority of these countries, in West Germany and Great Britain to mention a few, the shortage is so serious that only a few percent of the population would have access to bomb shelters in case of a crisis situation. Also in other countries, such as in Sweden, where building and installation of bomb shelters progress according to a plan adopted by the authorities, the actual need for bomb shelters exceeds that of the official plan. Modern wars take their toll of civilians (between 80 and 90 percent of the war casualties).
Weapons used in modern wars for bombing and shelling are constructed to cause maximum bodily injuries. It is therefore absolutely vital that bomb shelters in sufficient numbers are available in wartime. In addition, the increase in efficiency and speed of the modern war machine makes it possible to attack at very short notice. It may therefore be assumed that there will be no time to build and install bomb shelters once a war has started.
The efficiency of a weapon decreases in proportion to the square of the distance from the point of detonation or impact of the weapon. Consequently, the chances of survival increase markedly in areas outside the direct point of impact and the immediate vicinity thereof.
In conclusion, to build and install a large number of small, well scattered bomb shelters would be desirable, as this would diminish the risk of direct hits and thus save lives. It is likewise important that the bomb shelters are located to allow the civilians to reach them quickly when the alert is sounded. Thus, there is an immediate need for small, simple and inexpensive bomb shelters.
Conventional air-raid shelters providing satisfactory protection usually are large-size units intended to accommodate a comparatively large number of persons. The building and installation costs of such large units are considerable, and it would not be a realistic goal to build shelters of this type in a sufficient number to offer adequate protection to all civilians.